Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Ruston for her second supplementary question. I can advise that, through the work of the drought coordinators and the other social support initiatives that are already in place, more than 9,800 people from these communities have accessed direct community mental health support, including advice and counselling, over 2,800 referrals have been made to other services and nearly 18,000 people have had access to services such as family counselling. There is absolutely no denying the seriousness of the situation that these families face and the challenges they deal with every day. The work of the social support services, and particularly our drought coordinators in the Department of Human Services, is doing an exceptional job to support these people in these extraordinarily difficult times.